October 20, 2023 • 18 mins
This week Penn State Head Coach James Franklin and LaVar Arrington discuss Ohio State. The Big Game is Saturday at the Horse Shoe, and Coach Franklin is treating it like any other game. This team is locked in and ready to go from the practices to the coaches.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is Quite Franklin with LeVar Errington. Each week, Man
State head coach James Franklin and Penn State legend LeVar
Arrington will discuss game strategy and other insights on Penn
State football. Quite Franklin with LeVar Arrington. It is not.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Okay, all right, this is a quite Franklin movement.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
I get to be a part of it. I'm Lavarre.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
So that's Coach Franklin. Welcome, man coach. Let's jump right
to it. This is the most important question I'm going
to ask you all season long. I know you're ready
for this. What's your favorite TV show?
Speaker 4 (00:43):
Man?
Speaker 3 (00:43):
You got a favorite TV show, favorite movie?
Speaker 4 (00:46):
Favorite TV show? I don't watch a lot of TV.
To be honest with you. What we'll do is like
in the summer when I do have time off, me
and my wife will like ben like shows. My wife's
a night out and I'm morning so, like we'll watch
a show and I'm ready to turn it off at
(01:07):
like like one. Like one is crazy for me, right,
she wants to go like till three, and I'm like, there,
Ben shows. But I don't really know if I got
like a favorite show or any of that kind of stuff,
don't don't. I don't do a whole lot of that,
but we'll we'll ben shows in the summer.
Speaker 3 (01:27):
Let me hit you with this.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
I do believe you were at the University of Maryland
when Remember the Titans came out. I believe if my
math is correct, I believe you were in College Park.
That would have been two thousand and one or two
thousand and two.
Speaker 4 (01:44):
Yeah, probably.
Speaker 3 (01:45):
I remember.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
I remember that time, and I remember because Maryland football
was really good. So I was actually living through Maryland
football because we couldn't win any games. Coach, and I
remember going to see Remember the Titans and anyway, So
I got to thinking about Remember the Titans and going
into this week, Coach, I feel like this is a
(02:08):
Remember the Titans type of week. Man like, remember who
we are, make them remember the Titans. You guys are
going into Columbus this team. I don't want to put
words in your mouth, but I'm gonna say what I feel.
This is a special group. It's a special group. When
(02:31):
you look at what you have, I think what you
have been striving to do since you've been there is
to build a team that understands what having that means.
Just because you might not be the first one onto
the field, doesn't mean you're not as important as number one.
(02:52):
In fact, you're probably just as good, if not better
than number one.
Speaker 3 (02:57):
But you understand that we have waves. It's waves. It's waves.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
You come in, he comes out, no fall off, he
goes out, You come in, no fall off.
Speaker 3 (03:08):
That's what this team looks like. They don't. It doesn't
look like y'all get tired.
Speaker 2 (03:13):
It doesn't look like you guys are dealing with too
many major injuries whatsoever. And I attribute that to they
don't have to play that much, they don't get too
much wear and tear, and yet everybody's continuing to eat.
This might be the first time I've seen a team
as complete from one and two, hell, since I've been there.
(03:38):
What like, going into this game, it looks like they're
going to have to remember this team. What's what's your feeling,
What's what's the overwhelming like, what is the message going
towards the players, and what is coming from the coaches
this week hitting into the Ohio State game?
Speaker 4 (03:57):
Well, a couple things. I think your point on on
depth is a good one, and I think that's harder
to build now than ever before. With everything that's going
on in college football and college athletics in general. But
I do feel that way. I said in the beginning
of the season that I wasn't sure yet if our
starting eleven is better than maybe some years we've had
(04:19):
in the past. But I felt like are three deep
at most positions is as good as we've had it.
And I think all the points you made about, you know,
being able to play a ton of guys, keep guys fresh,
keep guys healthy, I think has been a big part
of our success you know, so far this season, and
we have to continue that. Obviously, you know, one of
(04:41):
the things that I've talked to the team about. Obviously
we're going Little Horseshoe and playing, you know, the number
three ranked team in the country, so there's a lot
that comes with that. But one of the things I
think is really important is our team understanding they don't
have to go down there and do any thing more
than what we've done all year long. I feel like
(05:02):
that's been a little bit of a problem in the past,
and these games we've tried to do more and and
that that that will come back to get you you know,
as you know, you know, you're a defense of player,
and you're trying to make a play rather than just
do your job, and against good teams, the ball will
find that open gap. So making sure all of our
(05:26):
guys understand that we're prepared for this moment. We've been
preparing all year long. The reality is they've been preparing
all their life for moments like this. So let's let's
just go and have some fun and play the way
we're capable of playing and making guys like yourself and
the letterman from the past, Uh, feel really good about
(05:46):
about how we compete and how we finish.
Speaker 2 (05:49):
You know what's interesting about what you said is when
I was there, are we we didn't have problems with
Ohio State like we used to handle Ohio State like day.
Speaker 3 (05:59):
Thank y'all.
Speaker 2 (05:59):
Ohio State, y'all made me one of the highest graded
guys in the draft. I appreciate y'all in the late
nineties for that. But Michigan was the team during the week. Coach,
our coaching staff went from every other week, we're loose,
we're loose, we're loose. We get the Michigan week.
Speaker 3 (06:22):
And we're looking at like, I mean, we practice hard too.
We're Penn State too.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
You know football, Jesus, he's with us too, you know
what I mean? Like, what's all this about? What has
the environment been for you guys, because I know it
gets hard sometimes when you have to hear, oh, well
can they beat them? How have they done against them?
(06:53):
What are they going to do in this game? How
has it been for the coaches psyche heading into the week?
Speaker 4 (07:00):
Well, just like you just mentioned, and I think you
mentioned before, I think that's a that's a really important
story you just told. But that didn't work for you
guys against Michigan, right.
Speaker 3 (07:11):
It didn't.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
We never beat them. Yeah, we never beat them. And
it showed up in the game, coach, like we would
be winning. But it showed up in the game like
they get tight and they start calling tight plays like
it showed up.
Speaker 4 (07:24):
And I guess that's my point is making sure my
staff understands that, making sure that the players understand that
that we got to get better this week, because that's
what we do every week. I've been saying that all
year long. I'm not saying it this week because it's
Ohio State. We had to get better the Iowa week,
we had to get better the UMAs week because for
(07:46):
where we want to go. We got to get better
individually and collectively all season long, and and ultimately it's
about us. It's about us handling our business. Obviously, we
got tremendous respect for Ohiose and what they've been able
to do and what we've seen on tape. But I
say that all the time. If the players feel a
(08:08):
difference in us and our actions and our behaviors.
Speaker 3 (08:11):
It don't matter what we say. They can tell.
Speaker 4 (08:15):
You brought up Maryland and I learned so much from
Ralph Region one one of the best coaches I've ever
been in, specifically as an offensive mind. But you know, yeah,
he would get up. He'd get up each week. Now
he didn't take the approach I did, but he'd get
up each week.
Speaker 3 (08:29):
Go this is a big week. You know, this is
a bit. Each week we won, it gets bigger.
Speaker 4 (08:34):
Naturally, that happens, you know. But you could tell the difference,
like at Maryland it was Virginia was kind of like
the rival, you know, and you could tell those weeks
it was different for the coaches, you know. So we
try to keep our approaches consistently possibly can. For the
story you just told about as a player, you know,
(08:55):
when when you were here at Penn State against Michigan.
We try to keep it consistent and and we're gonna
get better because we need to get better to do
what we want to do this season and not only
this week.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
Indeed, indeed, okay, so we are relatively healthy. They have
an interesting little little injury report with their backs and
maybe the receiver is still healing up. What the game
plan is? It seems like it sounds to do the same.
So is it gonna be a heavy dose of run?
Speaker 3 (09:29):
Is it?
Speaker 4 (09:30):
Is it?
Speaker 3 (09:30):
Like? What are you? What are you seeing?
Speaker 2 (09:32):
I personally think their secondary is always susceptible. I've not
really in the past, not that up front that they
were were actually vulnerable. But I gotta say, watching them
on film, I've done a deep dive on them.
Speaker 1 (09:50):
They are as.
Speaker 2 (09:52):
Crazy upfront as they have been in years past. Good
Ohio State, But I got I'm looking at it in comparison.
I look at what we have upfront, I look at
what they have up front. I feel pretty good. I
feel pretty good. What what are you looking at?
Speaker 1 (10:10):
Like?
Speaker 2 (10:11):
What do you feel we have a distinct advantage in
terms of approaching this game?
Speaker 4 (10:17):
Well, probably not going to get into those specifics. Okay, okay,
all right, just to be totally honest, but what I
will say to you is is I do think we
match up better than we have in other years. You know,
and you know we both have a tremendous amount of
respect for Larry Johnson and what he's done throughout his
consolute at D line, so we know what we're gonna face.
(10:39):
That D line is always one of the best D
lines in the country. But I do think we match
up better than we have. But back to your point,
your question, you're asking me about how we're going to
approach this game, and really back to the point you
were just making that goes back to what I was
saying is the players don't have to do anything different
than the coaches don't have to do anything different. Are
we gonna have some tweaks like we always do in
(11:01):
each game plan? Yes, but let's not try to become
an explosive offense on Saturday when we haven't been that
all year long. Let's let's stick to your identity. If
the explosive plays come organically wonderful, let let's let's let's
do it. But let's not try to reinvent ourselves on Saturday,
(11:24):
because what we've done all year long is pretty darn good.
Speaker 2 (11:27):
Yeah, okay, all right, my last question. My last question
would be who's having the best week of practice? Like,
who are you looking at like? And it could be
a couple guys.
Speaker 3 (11:39):
Who are you.
Speaker 2 (11:40):
Looking at like? They look good, they're dowt in, It's
going to be a good one.
Speaker 4 (11:46):
Well, the first thing I would say is that, you know,
I've only seen Tuesday's practice. At this stage, I've only
seen one day, so it's hard to really tell.
Speaker 3 (11:54):
Something enough to evaluate.
Speaker 4 (11:56):
But I will say this, LeVar, I do think we
are practicing this year, this season, this team is practicing
better on a consistent basis than I've ever been around.
I mean, when we go good on good periods, it's
a battle.
Speaker 3 (12:12):
I mean it is a battle.
Speaker 4 (12:14):
And then our D squads, back to the depth, our
D squads or scout teams or whatever you want to
call it, are better. And if our guys don't bring it,
the D Squad's gonna get after you. And and that
makes you better when when you got guys at practice
every single day, you know, so like Jamal Lyons, who
(12:35):
who we have decided to play. But if he's not
getting a ton of reps in a specific period on defense.
He rotates down to the scout team and and and
he gets after those guys k Keys and your boy
Tame year. They're doing a heck of a job. And
I can go on and on same thing on the
on the other side of the ball with with offensive players.
(12:57):
Donald Driver, excuse me, guy, said Donald Christian rotating Yeah, my.
Speaker 3 (13:01):
Guy, Yeah, yeah, yeah, his kid.
Speaker 4 (13:04):
Yeah, it's rotating up there, doing a great job giving
those guys looks. You know, our tight ends raply a.
He's a guy like Jamil Lyons who's rotating back and forth.
Speaker 3 (13:15):
So that's been really good.
Speaker 4 (13:17):
And we're just practicing well. And you know, as you know,
if if you if you don't practice great and you're
trying to go turn it on at a place like
the Horseshoe, it ain't gonna happen. We gotta we gotta
practice what we preach, and we got to create great habits.
Speaker 3 (13:30):
You know.
Speaker 2 (13:30):
A funny story speaking of the second teamers or the
look team my last year at school, Larry Johnson speaking
of Larry Johnson senior. Larry Johnson Junior was a tailback
on that team and in our in our live periods.
He was mowing everybody down and it made such a
(13:54):
tremendous difference and our ability to tackle on Saturday because
we we faced one running back that year, I'll say,
and he went over one hundred on us as TJ.
Speaker 3 (14:05):
Duckett.
Speaker 2 (14:06):
There was only one running back that we went up
against that actually ran as hard as Larry Johnson did
in practice. And that was a tribute to how hard
our front block as well, and how our second quarterback,
how he ran our look team quarterback ran our look
(14:26):
team offense. It's super important to have your look team
be as dope as possible and to the point that
you just made I did that in the Pros.
Speaker 3 (14:37):
I played scout.
Speaker 2 (14:38):
Team on the Pros on the live series. I didn't
want to look like I'm hold the bag for you.
Now if they going live and we're over here and
they're doing something different, they're running nickel or they're doing
this that, and they don't have me in on the package.
I went over and ran with the ones on offense
and did the look teams just so that I could
(14:58):
give them a look, so I could get but I
could get what I was gonna do as well. Like
let me get my steps down, let me see what's
gonna work for me going out there. So I have
loved the mentality of this team, I said. We asked
the question before, what what does this team personality look like?
What does this look like? They are some hard nos.
(15:19):
I mean, I just I feel like I've never felt
like I wanted to play, coach, like I've never felt
like like my hair stand up on my neck and like,
let's do this. This group of dudes, that energy that
resonates from this team. It even makes old dudes like
(15:40):
me who have not at all felt like I'd ever
feel like wanting to play or want to do anything
with it.
Speaker 3 (15:46):
It gives me energy, the energy.
Speaker 4 (15:49):
God God play play what linebacker running back DM?
Speaker 2 (15:55):
Well what trying probably probably run down d N coach
rundown Dan. I'll set the ads now. I'll still today,
I still could set an ads today.
Speaker 3 (16:07):
I can still set an ad. Don't ask me to
run after nobody.
Speaker 2 (16:11):
But this right here, them hands them hands coach like
them things right there them.
Speaker 3 (16:16):
See, people don't understand in the weight room that day,
I say you, in the weight room.
Speaker 2 (16:20):
People don't understand how important the strength of your hands
and the movement and the usage of your hands are
Look look at this right here.
Speaker 3 (16:28):
People don't realize this. Look those right there.
Speaker 2 (16:30):
Look a lot that I was grabbing grown ass men
and treating them like they was my child.
Speaker 3 (16:38):
Like you go here, I'll set the ads for you, coach.
I'll set the.
Speaker 1 (16:43):
Ads and the pinkies are the proof.
Speaker 2 (16:46):
That's right. But I ain't gonna do nothing else. I
ain't got nothing else for.
Speaker 3 (16:50):
You, coach. I wish you well, I wish you luck.
This shirt right.
Speaker 2 (16:56):
Here, I wore this when I did the filming of
the intro when you guys came out into Lucas Oil
Stadium and handled some business against the cheeseheads. And let
me tell you something, I've been wearing it, and I've
been washing it, and I've been wearing it all week for.
Speaker 3 (17:14):
Good vibes and good juju.
Speaker 2 (17:16):
Yes, we did win the Big Ten championship that year,
and I just feel really like connected.
Speaker 3 (17:21):
I feel connected everybody else you should feel connected to.
You're Penn State, Nickney Lion fan. If you're part of
our community, make sure you lift coach up, make sure
you lift the team up, make sure you lift them
all up. Be a part of it.
Speaker 2 (17:34):
Make sure you tell Kate if you're not in the Horseshoe,
and make sure you're doing something that support. If you're
on social media, make sure you send the message that support.
Speaker 3 (17:41):
If you're in the horseshoe, make sure they know we're there.
All right.
Speaker 2 (17:45):
Hey, this is quite Franklin with Coach Franklin. I'm Lebarrings.
Until next time, we'll talk to you.
Speaker 4 (17:50):
Appreciate you brother.
Speaker 2 (17:52):
To everyone out there, make sure that you tune in,
your lock in, you subscribe. Make sure you check out
up on game up on Game Presents so that you
can get all of the content that.
Speaker 3 (18:03):
We give you.
Speaker 2 (18:05):
Kat check me out King of the Mammals on social media.
LeVar Arrington on the Twitter. Just make sure you check
your boy out. All right, This is LeVar Arrington. It's
up on Game Presents. That was Coach Franklin. Quite Franklin
will check you out to
This is Quite Franklin with LeVar Errington. Each week, Man
State head coach James Franklin and Penn State legend LeVar
Arrington will discuss game strategy and other insights on Penn
State football. Quite Franklin with LeVar Arrington. It is not.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Okay, all right, this is a quite Franklin movement.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
I get to be a part of it. I'm Lavarre.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
So that's Coach Franklin. Welcome, man coach. Let's jump right
to it. This is the most important question I'm going
to ask you all season long. I know you're ready
for this. What's your favorite TV show?
Speaker 4 (00:43):
Man?
Speaker 3 (00:43):
You got a favorite TV show, favorite movie?
Speaker 4 (00:46):
Favorite TV show? I don't watch a lot of TV.
To be honest with you. What we'll do is like
in the summer when I do have time off, me
and my wife will like ben like shows. My wife's
a night out and I'm morning so, like we'll watch
a show and I'm ready to turn it off at
(01:07):
like like one. Like one is crazy for me, right,
she wants to go like till three, and I'm like, there,
Ben shows. But I don't really know if I got
like a favorite show or any of that kind of stuff,
don't don't. I don't do a whole lot of that,
but we'll we'll ben shows in the summer.
Speaker 3 (01:27):
Let me hit you with this.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
I do believe you were at the University of Maryland
when Remember the Titans came out. I believe if my
math is correct, I believe you were in College Park.
That would have been two thousand and one or two
thousand and two.
Speaker 4 (01:44):
Yeah, probably.
Speaker 3 (01:45):
I remember.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
I remember that time, and I remember because Maryland football
was really good. So I was actually living through Maryland
football because we couldn't win any games. Coach, and I
remember going to see Remember the Titans and anyway, So
I got to thinking about Remember the Titans and going
into this week, Coach, I feel like this is a
(02:08):
Remember the Titans type of week. Man like, remember who
we are, make them remember the Titans. You guys are
going into Columbus this team. I don't want to put
words in your mouth, but I'm gonna say what I feel.
This is a special group. It's a special group. When
(02:31):
you look at what you have, I think what you
have been striving to do since you've been there is
to build a team that understands what having that means.
Just because you might not be the first one onto
the field, doesn't mean you're not as important as number one.
(02:52):
In fact, you're probably just as good, if not better
than number one.
Speaker 3 (02:57):
But you understand that we have waves. It's waves. It's waves.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
You come in, he comes out, no fall off, he
goes out, You come in, no fall off.
Speaker 3 (03:08):
That's what this team looks like. They don't. It doesn't
look like y'all get tired.
Speaker 2 (03:13):
It doesn't look like you guys are dealing with too
many major injuries whatsoever. And I attribute that to they
don't have to play that much, they don't get too
much wear and tear, and yet everybody's continuing to eat.
This might be the first time I've seen a team
as complete from one and two, hell, since I've been there.
(03:38):
What like, going into this game, it looks like they're
going to have to remember this team. What's what's your feeling,
What's what's the overwhelming like, what is the message going
towards the players, and what is coming from the coaches
this week hitting into the Ohio State game?
Speaker 4 (03:57):
Well, a couple things. I think your point on on
depth is a good one, and I think that's harder
to build now than ever before. With everything that's going
on in college football and college athletics in general. But
I do feel that way. I said in the beginning
of the season that I wasn't sure yet if our
starting eleven is better than maybe some years we've had
(04:19):
in the past. But I felt like are three deep
at most positions is as good as we've had it.
And I think all the points you made about, you know,
being able to play a ton of guys, keep guys fresh,
keep guys healthy, I think has been a big part
of our success you know, so far this season, and
we have to continue that. Obviously, you know, one of
(04:41):
the things that I've talked to the team about. Obviously
we're going Little Horseshoe and playing, you know, the number
three ranked team in the country, so there's a lot
that comes with that. But one of the things I
think is really important is our team understanding they don't
have to go down there and do any thing more
than what we've done all year long. I feel like
(05:02):
that's been a little bit of a problem in the past,
and these games we've tried to do more and and
that that that will come back to get you you know,
as you know, you know, you're a defense of player,
and you're trying to make a play rather than just
do your job, and against good teams, the ball will
find that open gap. So making sure all of our
(05:26):
guys understand that we're prepared for this moment. We've been
preparing all year long. The reality is they've been preparing
all their life for moments like this. So let's let's
just go and have some fun and play the way
we're capable of playing and making guys like yourself and
the letterman from the past, Uh, feel really good about
(05:46):
about how we compete and how we finish.
Speaker 2 (05:49):
You know what's interesting about what you said is when
I was there, are we we didn't have problems with
Ohio State like we used to handle Ohio State like day.
Speaker 3 (05:59):
Thank y'all.
Speaker 2 (05:59):
Ohio State, y'all made me one of the highest graded
guys in the draft. I appreciate y'all in the late
nineties for that. But Michigan was the team during the week. Coach,
our coaching staff went from every other week, we're loose,
we're loose, we're loose. We get the Michigan week.
Speaker 3 (06:22):
And we're looking at like, I mean, we practice hard too.
We're Penn State too.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
You know football, Jesus, he's with us too, you know
what I mean? Like, what's all this about? What has
the environment been for you guys, because I know it
gets hard sometimes when you have to hear, oh, well
can they beat them? How have they done against them?
(06:53):
What are they going to do in this game? How
has it been for the coaches psyche heading into the week?
Speaker 4 (07:00):
Well, just like you just mentioned, and I think you
mentioned before, I think that's a that's a really important
story you just told. But that didn't work for you
guys against Michigan, right.
Speaker 3 (07:11):
It didn't.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
We never beat them. Yeah, we never beat them. And
it showed up in the game, coach, like we would
be winning. But it showed up in the game like
they get tight and they start calling tight plays like
it showed up.
Speaker 4 (07:24):
And I guess that's my point is making sure my
staff understands that, making sure that the players understand that
that we got to get better this week, because that's
what we do every week. I've been saying that all
year long. I'm not saying it this week because it's
Ohio State. We had to get better the Iowa week,
we had to get better the UMAs week because for
(07:46):
where we want to go. We got to get better
individually and collectively all season long, and and ultimately it's
about us. It's about us handling our business. Obviously, we
got tremendous respect for Ohiose and what they've been able
to do and what we've seen on tape. But I
say that all the time. If the players feel a
(08:08):
difference in us and our actions and our behaviors.
Speaker 3 (08:11):
It don't matter what we say. They can tell.
Speaker 4 (08:15):
You brought up Maryland and I learned so much from
Ralph Region one one of the best coaches I've ever
been in, specifically as an offensive mind. But you know, yeah,
he would get up. He'd get up each week. Now
he didn't take the approach I did, but he'd get
up each week.
Speaker 3 (08:29):
Go this is a big week. You know, this is
a bit. Each week we won, it gets bigger.
Speaker 4 (08:34):
Naturally, that happens, you know. But you could tell the difference,
like at Maryland it was Virginia was kind of like
the rival, you know, and you could tell those weeks
it was different for the coaches, you know. So we
try to keep our approaches consistently possibly can. For the
story you just told about as a player, you know,
(08:55):
when when you were here at Penn State against Michigan.
We try to keep it consistent and and we're gonna
get better because we need to get better to do
what we want to do this season and not only
this week.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
Indeed, indeed, okay, so we are relatively healthy. They have
an interesting little little injury report with their backs and
maybe the receiver is still healing up. What the game
plan is? It seems like it sounds to do the same.
So is it gonna be a heavy dose of run?
Speaker 3 (09:29):
Is it?
Speaker 4 (09:30):
Is it?
Speaker 3 (09:30):
Like? What are you? What are you seeing?
Speaker 2 (09:32):
I personally think their secondary is always susceptible. I've not
really in the past, not that up front that they
were were actually vulnerable. But I gotta say, watching them
on film, I've done a deep dive on them.
Speaker 1 (09:50):
They are as.
Speaker 2 (09:52):
Crazy upfront as they have been in years past. Good
Ohio State, But I got I'm looking at it in comparison.
I look at what we have upfront, I look at
what they have up front. I feel pretty good. I
feel pretty good. What what are you looking at?
Speaker 1 (10:10):
Like?
Speaker 2 (10:11):
What do you feel we have a distinct advantage in
terms of approaching this game?
Speaker 4 (10:17):
Well, probably not going to get into those specifics. Okay, okay,
all right, just to be totally honest, but what I
will say to you is is I do think we
match up better than we have in other years. You know,
and you know we both have a tremendous amount of
respect for Larry Johnson and what he's done throughout his
consolute at D line, so we know what we're gonna face.
(10:39):
That D line is always one of the best D
lines in the country. But I do think we match
up better than we have. But back to your point,
your question, you're asking me about how we're going to
approach this game, and really back to the point you
were just making that goes back to what I was
saying is the players don't have to do anything different
than the coaches don't have to do anything different. Are
we gonna have some tweaks like we always do in
(11:01):
each game plan? Yes, but let's not try to become
an explosive offense on Saturday when we haven't been that
all year long. Let's let's stick to your identity. If
the explosive plays come organically wonderful, let let's let's let's
do it. But let's not try to reinvent ourselves on Saturday,
(11:24):
because what we've done all year long is pretty darn good.
Speaker 2 (11:27):
Yeah, okay, all right, my last question. My last question
would be who's having the best week of practice? Like,
who are you looking at like? And it could be
a couple guys.
Speaker 3 (11:39):
Who are you.
Speaker 2 (11:40):
Looking at like? They look good, they're dowt in, It's
going to be a good one.
Speaker 4 (11:46):
Well, the first thing I would say is that, you know,
I've only seen Tuesday's practice. At this stage, I've only
seen one day, so it's hard to really tell.
Speaker 3 (11:54):
Something enough to evaluate.
Speaker 4 (11:56):
But I will say this, LeVar, I do think we
are practicing this year, this season, this team is practicing
better on a consistent basis than I've ever been around.
I mean, when we go good on good periods, it's
a battle.
Speaker 3 (12:12):
I mean it is a battle.
Speaker 4 (12:14):
And then our D squads, back to the depth, our
D squads or scout teams or whatever you want to
call it, are better. And if our guys don't bring it,
the D Squad's gonna get after you. And and that
makes you better when when you got guys at practice
every single day, you know, so like Jamal Lyons, who
(12:35):
who we have decided to play. But if he's not
getting a ton of reps in a specific period on defense.
He rotates down to the scout team and and and
he gets after those guys k Keys and your boy
Tame year. They're doing a heck of a job. And
I can go on and on same thing on the
on the other side of the ball with with offensive players.
(12:57):
Donald Driver, excuse me, guy, said Donald Christian rotating Yeah, my.
Speaker 3 (13:01):
Guy, Yeah, yeah, yeah, his kid.
Speaker 4 (13:04):
Yeah, it's rotating up there, doing a great job giving
those guys looks. You know, our tight ends raply a.
He's a guy like Jamil Lyons who's rotating back and forth.
Speaker 3 (13:15):
So that's been really good.
Speaker 4 (13:17):
And we're just practicing well. And you know, as you know,
if if you if you don't practice great and you're
trying to go turn it on at a place like
the Horseshoe, it ain't gonna happen. We gotta we gotta
practice what we preach, and we got to create great habits.
Speaker 3 (13:30):
You know.
Speaker 2 (13:30):
A funny story speaking of the second teamers or the
look team my last year at school, Larry Johnson speaking
of Larry Johnson senior. Larry Johnson Junior was a tailback
on that team and in our in our live periods.
He was mowing everybody down and it made such a
(13:54):
tremendous difference and our ability to tackle on Saturday because
we we faced one running back that year, I'll say,
and he went over one hundred on us as TJ.
Speaker 3 (14:05):
Duckett.
Speaker 2 (14:06):
There was only one running back that we went up
against that actually ran as hard as Larry Johnson did
in practice. And that was a tribute to how hard
our front block as well, and how our second quarterback,
how he ran our look team quarterback ran our look
(14:26):
team offense. It's super important to have your look team
be as dope as possible and to the point that
you just made I did that in the Pros.
Speaker 3 (14:37):
I played scout.
Speaker 2 (14:38):
Team on the Pros on the live series. I didn't
want to look like I'm hold the bag for you.
Now if they going live and we're over here and
they're doing something different, they're running nickel or they're doing
this that, and they don't have me in on the package.
I went over and ran with the ones on offense
and did the look teams just so that I could
(14:58):
give them a look, so I could get but I
could get what I was gonna do as well. Like
let me get my steps down, let me see what's
gonna work for me going out there. So I have
loved the mentality of this team, I said. We asked
the question before, what what does this team personality look like?
What does this look like? They are some hard nos.
(15:19):
I mean, I just I feel like I've never felt
like I wanted to play, coach, like I've never felt
like like my hair stand up on my neck and like,
let's do this. This group of dudes, that energy that
resonates from this team. It even makes old dudes like
(15:40):
me who have not at all felt like I'd ever
feel like wanting to play or want to do anything
with it.
Speaker 3 (15:46):
It gives me energy, the energy.
Speaker 4 (15:49):
God God play play what linebacker running back DM?
Speaker 2 (15:55):
Well what trying probably probably run down d N coach
rundown Dan. I'll set the ads now. I'll still today,
I still could set an ads today.
Speaker 3 (16:07):
I can still set an ad. Don't ask me to
run after nobody.
Speaker 2 (16:11):
But this right here, them hands them hands coach like
them things right there them.
Speaker 3 (16:16):
See, people don't understand in the weight room that day,
I say you, in the weight room.
Speaker 2 (16:20):
People don't understand how important the strength of your hands
and the movement and the usage of your hands are
Look look at this right here.
Speaker 3 (16:28):
People don't realize this. Look those right there.
Speaker 2 (16:30):
Look a lot that I was grabbing grown ass men
and treating them like they was my child.
Speaker 3 (16:38):
Like you go here, I'll set the ads for you, coach.
I'll set the.
Speaker 1 (16:43):
Ads and the pinkies are the proof.
Speaker 2 (16:46):
That's right. But I ain't gonna do nothing else. I
ain't got nothing else for.
Speaker 3 (16:50):
You, coach. I wish you well, I wish you luck.
This shirt right.
Speaker 2 (16:56):
Here, I wore this when I did the filming of
the intro when you guys came out into Lucas Oil
Stadium and handled some business against the cheeseheads. And let
me tell you something, I've been wearing it, and I've
been washing it, and I've been wearing it all week for.
Speaker 3 (17:14):
Good vibes and good juju.
Speaker 2 (17:16):
Yes, we did win the Big Ten championship that year,
and I just feel really like connected.
Speaker 3 (17:21):
I feel connected everybody else you should feel connected to.
You're Penn State, Nickney Lion fan. If you're part of
our community, make sure you lift coach up, make sure
you lift the team up, make sure you lift them
all up. Be a part of it.
Speaker 2 (17:34):
Make sure you tell Kate if you're not in the Horseshoe,
and make sure you're doing something that support. If you're
on social media, make sure you send the message that support.
Speaker 3 (17:41):
If you're in the horseshoe, make sure they know we're there.
All right.
Speaker 2 (17:45):
Hey, this is quite Franklin with Coach Franklin. I'm Lebarrings.
Until next time, we'll talk to you.
Speaker 4 (17:50):
Appreciate you brother.
Speaker 2 (17:52):
To everyone out there, make sure that you tune in,
your lock in, you subscribe. Make sure you check out
up on game up on Game Presents so that you
can get all of the content that.
Speaker 3 (18:03):
We give you.
Speaker 2 (18:05):
Kat check me out King of the Mammals on social media.
LeVar Arrington on the Twitter. Just make sure you check
your boy out. All right, This is LeVar Arrington. It's
up on Game Presents. That was Coach Franklin. Quite Franklin
will check you out to
Host
LaVar Arrington
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